How to Enjoy What’s Left of Summer with Your Kids

How is it August already? It’s like I blinked and July was gone. Before the rest of the summer slips through your fingers and you succumb to the craze of back to school shopping, here are a few fun activities to try with your kiddos.

From farm to hungry little belliesIt’s never too early to educate kids about healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, and where they come from. Farmers markets and fresh produce stands are often a short trip away. Encourage your kids to ask the farmers and employees questions about how they grow crops and harvest them. If you have a little extra time, why not spend a sunny afternoon picking berries or apples at a local farm. Choose a yummy recipe with your kids to turn that fresh produce into a meal or dessert your kids will be proud of. Apple crisp anyone?

Under 10-years-old and already a published author
Give your youngster the best show-and-tell ammo ever by helping them create their own hard cover, printed book. Create a story line, help them with spelling and draw the afternoon away. Budget friendly solutions like IlluStory and my storybook will do the trick. It’s a perfect idea for a rainy day activity and it will get them excited about reading again just in time for school to start.

Drive in movie (at home)The best part of summer vacation for me used to be extended bedtimes. I have fond memories of staying up late at the drive-in theatre, or at least trying to. Don’t live near a drive-in theatre? Bring the drive-in home! Search out a few boxes that are large enough for them to sit in – the grocery store is always a good place to start. Spend some time that day decorating the boxes to look like cars. Park those cars in front of the television, press play and voila! All you need is a snack or two and you’re all set. Bonus points if you’re able to project the movie outside on a projector screen or white sheet affixed to the outside of your home.

Pick a park, any park
From small urban playscapes with splash pads to vast, wooded conservation areas, there are plenty of great parks across Canada to choose from. Make it your mission to explore a new park or two by the end of the summer. Having a hard time getting your youngster to get excited about a walk or hike? Get your hands on a few, inexpensive pedometers and make a competition out of it to see who can bank the most steps. You could also find a fallen tree branch to decorate to become their personalized walking stick.

Seize the day and plan to do a few more fun things with your kids this summer. What other fun, outdoor activities are you planning to check off the list before school starts?

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